Half of UK CIOs fear IT talent scarcity post-Brexit

As UK firms wrangle with uncertainty caused by Brexit delays, CIOs fear that a dearth of tech talent is on the horizon

Over half of UK business leaders are anxious about Brexit’s impact on their IT workforce, according to a report released today by Barclaycard.

51 per cent of UK CIOs are concerned that they won’t be able to recruit enough workers with the appropriate IT skills after Britain leaves the European Union.

Enterprises are under continued pressure to deliver on digital transformation initiatives, the success of which hangs on IT departments having the skilled workers they require.

But experts warn it will be difficult to retain and recruit employees from the EU the longer that Brexit is kicked into the long grass. According to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, workers from the EU make up a fifth of tech jobs in London.

Brexit uncertainty is compounding the stresses of today’s fast-paced and competitive business market, says Barclaycard, with more than three-quarters (76 per cent) of UK CIOs concerned about recruiting and upskilling staff to ensure they have the advanced tech skills required to compete.

“Recruiting the best talent is always a priority for business leaders – but as our research shows, CIOs know it’s not enough to simply hire skilled individuals,” said Keith Little, CIO, Barclaycard.

According to the report, 69 per cent of CIOs say that the need to improve employee skills is of critical or high importance. Little says firms could bridge the gap by improving knowledge sharing across their businesses, reviewing training programmes or bringing in fresh expertise in accordance with changing company goals.

“To keep pace with the rapid technological change, tech leaders must be prepared to continually identify and address the skills gaps within their organisations,” said Little.

“The good news is that most CIOs say their team is more diverse than five years ago – suggesting they’re already taking steps to ensure they nurture a wider range of skills.”